State Delegate Brian Moran is joining Virginia Beach's mayor, a former city councilman and Sierra Club leaders in calling on Congress to keep the moratorium on drilling for oil off Virginia's coast.

During a news conference yesterday, they raised concerns about the impact offshore drilling could have on Virginia Beach tourism, the environment and global warming.

The Interior Department recently announced a major expansion of offshore oil and gas development with proposed lease sales, including three million acres in the central Atlantic.

Those acres off Virginia's coast would require Congress to lift a long-standing drilling moratorium.  

The Democratic-controlled Congress has given no indication it is willing to lift the moratorium.

Moran says there needs to be improvement on conservation measures and renewable energy before drilling.  

And Mayor Meyera Oberndorf says tourism is too vital to Virginia Beach's economy to lose its beaches to an oil spill.